Authorities on Thursday said 51 people had been found dead on the scene, bringing the death toll to 55 including four others who had been brought to the hospital.
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Hong Kong High-Rise Inferno Claims 55 Lives
A massive fire tore through high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, killing at least 55 people and leaving 279 missing. The blaze, Hong Kong’s deadliest in decades, burned through the night as rescuers continued pulling residents from the burning towers on Thursday morning. Authorities said rescuers found 51 bodies at the scene, while four more victims died in the hospital. More than 70 residents suffered injuries, mostly from burns and smoke inhalation. Police arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire, which began Wednesday afternoon in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex.
By Thursday morning, firefighters were still battling the flames as evacuations continued. The fire spread rapidly across seven of the complex’s eight towers, sending bright flames and thick smoke out of windows as hundreds of residents fled. Officials confirmed that 40 of the 44 victims died at the scene, and at least 62 people sustained injuries. Authorities suspect that some exterior wall materials failed to meet fire resistance standards, contributing to the unusually fast spread of the blaze. Police also discovered highly flammable Styrofoam materials near lift lobbies on every floor of the only unaffected tower, which they believe a construction company installed.
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Hong Kong Fire: Police Cite Construction Negligence
Senior police superintendent Eileen Chung said investigators have reason to believe the construction company’s leadership acted with gross negligence. Police arrested three men—aged 52 to 68—who serve as the firm’s directors and engineering consultant. The Fire Services Department said crews brought the fire at four buildings “under control” by Thursday morning. Officials confirmed the blaze began on the external scaffolding of a 32-storey tower, then spread inside the building and to neighbouring towers, likely accelerated by strong winds. Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences for the firefighter who died and extended sympathies to victims’ families, state broadcaster CCTV reported. He also urged authorities to minimise casualties and losses.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced the government would prioritise the disaster response and suspend public campaign activities for the December 7 Legislative Council elections. He said officials would decide in the coming days whether the polls might be delayed. The housing complex comprises eight buildings with nearly 2,000 apartments and about 4,800 residents, many of them elderly. Built in the 1980s, it had recently undergone major renovation work. Fire chiefs said extreme heat at the site made rescue operations difficult. Flames and thick smoke surged upward as the blaze rapidly spread through bamboo scaffolding and construction netting around the buildings. Authorities evacuated roughly 900 residents to temporary shelters.
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